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Section 6
DETER
• generate and explore all available
options for deterring and countering
this threat, drawing on the full range of
government capabilities. We will take
full account of other related factors,
including country-specific strategies,
international cyber priorities, and cyber
crime and prosperity objectives;
• use existing networks and relationships
with our key international partners
to share information about current
and nascent threats, adding value to
existing thought and expertise; and
• attribute specific cyber identities
publicly when we judge it in the
national interest to do so.
Measuring success
6.3.4. The Government will measure its
success in countering the actions of hostile
foreign actors by assessing progress
towards the following outcomes:
• the stronger information-sharing
networks that we have established with
our international partners, and wider
multilateral agreements in support of
lawful and responsible behaviour by
states, are substantially contributing to
our ability to understand and respond
to the threat, resulting in a better
defended UK; and
• our defence and deterrence measures,
alongside our country-specific
strategies, are making the UK a
harder target for hostile foreign
actors to act against.
6.4.
PREVENTING TERRORISM
6.4.1. The technical capability of terrorists
currently remains limited but they continue
to aspire to conduct damaging computer
network operations against the UK, with
publicity and disruption as the primary
objective of their cyber activity. The
Government will identify and disrupt
National Cyber Security Strategy 2016
terrorists using and intending to use cyber
for this purpose. In doing so, we will
minimise their impact and prevent an uplift
in terrorist cyber capability that would further
threaten UK networks and national security.
Objective
6.4.2. To mitigate the threat of terrorist
use of cyber, through the identification
and disruption of terrorist cyber actors
who currently hold, and aspire to build,
capability that could threaten UK
national security.
Our approach
6.4.3. To ensure the threat posed by cyber
terrorism remains low, we will:
• detect cyber terrorism threats,
identifying actors who are seeking to
conduct damaging network operations
against the UK and our allies;
• investigate and disrupt these cyber
terrorism actors to prevent them from
using cyber capability against the UK
and its allies; and
• work closely with international partners
to enable us to better tackle the threat
from cyber terrorism.
Measuring success
6.4.4. The Government will measure
its success in preventing terrorism by
assessing progress towards the
following outcomes:
• a full understanding of risk posed by
cyber terrorism, through identification
and investigation of cyber terrorism
threats to the UK; and
• close monitoring, and disruption of
terrorist cyber capability at the earliest
opportunity, with the aim of preventing
an increase in such terrorist capability
in the long term.